Flower Colors and Anthocyanins of Salvia splendens Sellow ex Schult. and S. coccinea: Buc’hoz ex Etl. cultivars

Abstract

The association between the flower color and anthocyanin composition of petals was investigated in 9 cultivars of Salvia splendens Sellow ex Schult. and S. coccinea Buc’hoz ex Etl. ‘Flamenco Red’ and ‘Acapulco’ had reddish flower colors and the same major pigments: pelargonidin 3-O-(6-O-caffeoyl)-glucoside-5-O-(6-O-malonyl)-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-O-(6-O-caffeoyl)-glucoside-5-O-(4,6-O-di-malonyl)-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-O-(6-O-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside-5-O-(6-O-malonyl)-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-O-(6-O-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside-5-O-(4,6-O-di-malonyl)-glucoside. The chemical structures of anthocyanins in ‘Flamenco Red’, ‘Flamenco Rose’, and ‘Flamenco Salmon’ were compared. ‘Flamenco Rose’ petals did not contain the acylated anthocyanin combined with two malonic acid molecules, one of the main anthocyanins in ‘Flamenco Red’. ‘Flamenco Salmon’ petals did not contain the acylated anthocyanin combined with p-coumaric acid, one of the main anthocyanins in ‘Flamenco Red’. Also, the total amount of anthocyanins decreased in ‘Flamenco Salmon’. These factors may have affected the color tone. In ‘Flamenco Purple’ and ‘Fujipulco’, both flowers were purple in color, but the major anthocyanins were different. The major anthocyanins of ‘Fujipulco’ were: cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside, pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside-5-malonylglucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside-5-malonylglucoside, and pelargonidin 3-glucoside-5-malonylglucoside. The present study is the first to report the presence of these four anthocyanins in cultivars of S. coccinea.